Method of cleaning tunnels, subways, or the like



jamz, 1923.

W. l. SMITH ET AL. METHOD OF CLEANING TUNNELS, SUEWAYS, 0R THE LIKE.

FILED API-e4 25. 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- Jan. 23, T923.

W, I SMITH ET AL,

.OR THE LIKE,

METHOD 0F CLEAN| NG TuNNr-:Ls SuBwAYs 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fl I ED APR 25 1 921 l Patented Jan. 23, 1923.

gPim:

1 1,443,286 Fica.,

WALTER I. SMITH, or BROOKLYN, ANDALGER'NON R. BURNETTE, or NEW YORK; N. Y.

METHOD CLEANING TUNNELS, SUBWAYS, 0R THE LKE.

Application led Apri] 25, 1921. Serial No. 464,136.

Be it known that we, WA-misit I. SMITH and ALGEiiNoN R. BUiiNicrrii, citizens of the rUnited States, and residents, respectively, of the city of New York, borough. of vBrookticularly to a method of accomplilshing` the same by means of air. j

The invention contemplates for one ofits principal objects amethod of this character by which subways, tunne'lsfand the like may be thoroughly, etliciently and .expeditiously cleaned of refuse, papers, dust, dirtfor other extraneous matter which collects therein.

As va further object the invention contemplates'a method which in addition to cleaning a tunnel, subway or the like and removing therefrom thev refuse and other ing ythe method into practice has been illus-v trated.

extraneous matter, effects the washing, filtering and purifying. of the air and a redistribution of said purified ail-.

lVith the above recited and other objects in view, whichy will appear'more clearly as the nature, purpose and use of the method is better understood, reference ishad tothe following specification, the appended claims andthe accompanying drawings dn which one embodiment of an apparatus forcarryvIn the'drawingsl Figure 1 is a sectional plan 'viewof a car in which the apparatus is installed.

Fig. Q is in longitudi'nal sectional view Vthere-through taken approximately yon, the

line a-a of F 1.

i Figl is a sectionalplan view of altrailer adapted to be connected to the car illustrated iiiF ig. 1 and representing a.coii

l tin'uation of Figl- 'l Fig'Qa is a longitudinal sectional viewon the line b-b of F ig. l?.

Referring to the drawings by character of reference, the apparatus here illustrated as one means of carrying the method into practice Consists ofa car 10 which may bep-either drawn or which may include self-contained means for driving. the same.

l. the tunnel or subway. v ries of outlet nozzles 13 are employed Vand .j There the method is employed for cleaning subways,

railway tunnels or other forms of underground railways, tlie car is designedto operate for movement' over the tracks 11 in the usual manner 'and is provided with supporting .and driving trucks l2. The cleaning apparatus, comprises essentially a plurality of nozzlesv 13 arranged to expel a draft of air outwardly from all sides of the car laterally with respect to the path of travel for the purpose of loosening and stirring up the refuse, dirt, dust-or other extraneous matter which collects on the road bed. sides vand top. constituting the walls of Preferably two se# the same are longitudinally spaced apart as illustrated. This draft 'of `air is projected forcibly froml the nozzles by means of any suitable form of air blower 14;rv which is re# spectively connected thereto 'by ia conduit 15. having branch pipes 16 and 16a leadingI to each series of nozzles, asuitable damper 1T being provi-ded for selectively directing the draft to the other series of nozzles. A series of inlet nozzles 18 `are arranged between the two seriesof outlet nozzles 13, the said inlet nozzles being'connected to an air suction device-19. Theoutlet of the air suction -device is lconnected to a conduit 20' which leads through a .flexible connecting conduit 21 to 'theinterior of a closed trailerv rlhe trailer is provided with aseparating screenV 23 and a return compartment 24 li'aving communication with connected by' a 'return flexible conduit 25 A'to the Vclosed trailer at the opposite side of the screen to 'the intake end 26 of an air washing or lteri ing apparatus 27, and theoutlet end of Said apparatus 27 is connected by' a conduit 28 to the intake ofthe ,air'blowei` 14.1

In operation that series 'of outlet nozzles which are in advance of the inlet nozzles according to the direction of travel of the cai' are active, while that in rear is inactive,

vtlie'damper 1f being* shifted for this pur pose.l It necessarily follows'that asthe car is moved. the forced air blower 14 will project a film of air from all sides of the car transversely to the movement of the saine to stir up and-loosen therefuse, dirt7 dust or .other extraneous matter which adheres to the road bed, sides and topof the tunnel f 4 fuse or other extraneous 'matter by means of a forced air blastl or draft expelled radior subway, and the intake nozzles 18 throughvtheir communication with the suction device 19 vwill create a suction film 'transversely to the path of travel or movement of the car to gather up and collect said extraneous matter which will be forced from the outlet `of said suction device through the conduits 20 and 2l into the trailer 22 where the larger and heavier particles will b e separated from the. air and smaller particles by the screen 23. 'lhe air laden with the remaining smaller and lighter particles will be forced and drawn through the return conduit 25 -into the intalge, 26 of the air washer or filter 27 where the impurities and extraneous matter will be removed therefrom and the purified air drawn therefrom through 4he pipe 28 by the action of the forced air blower llthrough the intake of said blower and expelled therefrom through' the outlet nozzles.

From the foregoing yit follows that the method of cleaning subways, tunnels, or other similar structures consists lessentially in stirring up and putting to Hight the really or transversely against all of the walls of the tunnel or subway while Amoving the same axially or longitudinally thereof, and gathering up the refuse or extraneous matter while stirred up or 5in Hight by a suction air current operating simultaneously on all of the walls of the tunnel and moving longitudinally therethrough in rear `of the air blast or draft whereby the suction constiltutes a barrier for preventing the possible passageofthe dislodged refuseor extraneous matter into the previously cleaned portion of the tunnel in rear of said suction film.

The method may also include the removal off-polluted air simultaneously with theremoval of the extraneous matter, the separation yof the heavier and larger particles therefrom, the washing or filtering of the air to remove the residue of the lighter an'd smaller particles of the extraneous matter to purify theysame and the redistribution ofthe puried air' simultaneously with the operation of stirring up the extraneous matter by the forced airiblast or draft-.

It .is to be understood that the method is subject to slight variations in the steps set forth herein, to the full extent indicated by the general meaning in which the terms are expressed and by variations in the phrasing of the same.

l-laving thus what we claim is:

l."l`he herein described methodv of cleaning tunnels, subways, or other similar structures.y consisting in simultaneously moving axially through said Structure longitudinally spaced films of air blast and suction, the said airblast film being directed against all of the walls ofthe structure and serving to dislodge and put to flight the extraneous matter in advance of thesuction film, the said suction film operating to'gather up the extraneous `matter while dislodged and in flight and at the same time constituting a barrier `for preventing the possible passage described our invention,

Vof the dislodged matter behind the same and into the previouslycleaned port-ion of the tunnel. y

v 2. The herein described method of cleaning tunnels, sub-ways or other similar structures of this character, consisting in first dislodging from the walls of the structure and/putting into flight the extraneous matter thereon by means of an air blast directed transversely aga-inst all of the-wallsot' the tunnel and moved progressively throughout its length, and then gatheringuprsaid extraneous matter while dislodged and in flight by a suction air current moved v'progres'sively through the tunnel in rear of the air blast and simultaneously there-with.

3. The herein described method of cleaningtunnel-s, subways-or other similar structures of this character, consisting in first dislodging vfrom the walls of the structure andA putting into fiight the extraneous matter thereon by means of an air blast. directed transversely against all of the walls of the vtunnel and move progressively throughout its length, gathering up said extraneous mat-ter while dislodged and in flight by a vsuction air current moved progressively through the tunnel in-rear of t-he air blast and sin'iultaneously therewith, purifying thesuction air current, and discharging. the

same.

VALTER I. SMITH. l y ALGERNON R. BURNETTE. 

